After Review Period, Clerk To Make Changes

Q&A

April 8, 1993

Last year, Diane Matousek won 56 percent of the vote in the race for Volusia County clerk of the court, defeating incumbent Newell Thornhill in a heated and sometimes nasty race.

Matousek, 38, worked for 19 years for the clerk's office before taking the helm in January. Recently, she talked with Orlando Sentinel reporter Sean Somerville about some of her goals and achievements.

Q: Where do you hope to take the office?

A: The goal is to provide the community with a better under-

Matousek standing of the services we provide and then provide those services. In the area of domestic violence, for instance, because of space constraints in our office here in DeLand mainly, it is very difficult to interview and assist a party that is trying to file for an injunction. I am trying to evaluate what space we do have to facilitate privacy.

Q: What do you consider some of your accomplishments since you've started the job?

A: There have been quite a few. I have reorganized the divisions, redefined some job descriptions. I have appointed committees among the employees. One committee is reviewing existing policies and also reviewing the existing handbook. I'm allowing them to make recommendations to me for changes.

Q: What would be an example of something they would review and might want to change?

A: There was a policy with regard to people who are awarded a day off due to not using a sick day all year. And they gave me recommendations (that) I should give them the option of taking a day off or being paid for a day. They are also reviewing policies with regard to dress codes. I feel if I get the employees involved in the decision-making, they're going to understand it's not like we're shoving things down their throat. This is actually coming from the employees themselves.

Q: What's the dress code now?

A: Basically, men have to wear shirt and tie and women need to dress appropriately. I guess there's some provision in our present dress code - which I want you to know I did not set up - so many inches above the knee, so many inches below the knee and no skirts that are slit skirts up to a certain point. I just really don't know that you have to go into that detail. I think if you stress professionalism, it's quite understood. No flip-flops, no tennis shoes. I've also established another committee to review suggestions made by employees. There are always good thoughts out there among the employees.

Q: What about changes that would pertain most directly to the public?

A: Right now, we have six or seven title companies that have the dial-in access to recording and indexing. Of course, this will be offered to anyone and everyone who would like to have that access. I've also got a committee looking into and evaluating the idea of shifts, so that we can provide the public with access to our office an hour earlier in the morning and an hour later at night. It won't be feasible in some of our areas, but it would be extremely helpful in areas like traffic, family law, child support, recording.

Q. What raises did your predecessor give employees after the election and before you took office?

A. One employee received a 67 percent increase on Nov. 3, and that was reduced to 17 percent the next week. The rest of the employees received a 2 percent increase.

The chief deputy clerk, who received the 67 percent increase, resigned. The 2 percent increase was kept in place.

Q: Your predecessor became part of the trial story when he testified on the question of judge-shopping in the Taco Bell murder trial. What kind of systems are you putting into place to make sure that that kind of thing doesn't happen?

A: We are rapidly developing all the automation that is necessary on all of our systems. And I have advised the employees of this office such action will not be tolerated. I have no reason to believe that any employee would ever consider allowing someone to judge-shop.